I guess I'm in my third year now working to put together a high end system. I am finally at a point of being extremely happy with the choices I've made and reference quality I've achieved. Changes over time have been numerous but with a lot of diligent reading of various user threads and talking with other audio friends, I believe the trek has been well worth it and definitely a fun one! I'm still tweaking a bit but think I'm at the end of the big changes for awhile. And it sure sounds good! Thanks for all the help! (updated comments 6/21/04)
Battery powered. Reference Audio Mods replaced existing internal battery system with external 12v batteries with cabinet casing
Esoteric P-03
SACD/CD with DSD signal processing
Esoteric D-03
SACD/CD with native DSD and PCM to DSD up-conversion
Esoteric G-0s master clock
With Rubidium Oscillator
Halcro SSP-100 Processor
With upgraded MPCM (LPCM) 7.1
Halcro Amplifiers MC-30
Three channel for center and rear surround speakers
Escient Fireball E-120 Digital Music Mgr.
Used in conjunction with a Sony 400 Disc CD changer plus an internal harddrive which allows 1800 hours of digital recorded music. I run this setup through the Goldmund DAC and get amazingly high end audio output!
Talon Audio Firebirds
full range with diamond tweeters
Talon Audio Hawk Center
w/Talon stand
Talon Audio Hawk Surrounds
Amazing monitors that I'm using for rear surround channels
Talon Audio Thunderbird
With external 1200 watt Crown amp
Harmonic Resolution Systems M-3 Isolation Base
I'm using these under each amp. Nothing short of amazing!
Pioneer Elite Pro FHD-1
50
Tara Labs Omega Gold Speaker Cable
10 ft.
Tara Labs Zero Gold
1.5m between amp and preamp (16k) 1m between DAC and preamp (14.5k)
Tara Labs Cobalt A/C cable
Used on the DAC and the conditioner
6sonsAudio Windigo
Using one on the transport and one on a power condition. Really excellent.
Nordost Thor
One on the audio and one on the video. Amps go straight to the wall.
I put together a home theater system. My wife was extremely interested in the projection TV only but gave my tinkering with the audio portion little thought. That was until I demo'd a few DVD's for her known for their sound quality. She sat in the room mesmerized. I do not think I will get her out of the room now. Good thing there is a bathroom and kitchenette nearby...and a nice comfy sleeper bed ;-)
Very nice setup Wendy. I too ended up going to a cabinet type solution to make things more aesthetically pleasing. Did you try any other kinds of shelving before going this route? Do you use any kinds of isolation devices under your components?
By the way, as mentioned, both men and women find themselves apart from most when it comes to this hobby. Like you, I've found that inviting others to help choose alternative cables, speakers ... helps a great deal. Good luck with the system.
Hi Wendy, I will never underestimate a woman's perspective. You seem to know what you wanted and went for it. Never gave much thought to women audiophiles. Then I saw posts from a Sc53. I hope that is the correct moniker. She like you, knows audio. Sc53 taught me much. She is one of my favorite posters. Just wish she would post more often. I very much am looking forward to reading many more of your posts. BTW, how ya be Sc53.I Miss you.
"...I would love to connect the Capitole directly to the Edge but then I would be switching the cables back and forth on a daily basis to enjoy the surround sound set-up too..."
Wendy, I wrestled with this dilemma for some time as well. There are two choices. - 47 Labs Input Chooser ($700 new) - Jena Labs ($1500 - $2500) I'm using the 47 Labs for obvious reasons. Both are simple switches and have NO electronics whatsoever. The 47 Labs is singled ended only. No cable swapping, no compromise. Running the Capitole into the amps directly MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE! Enjoy...
Wendy, by the look of you're system "YOU ROCK GIRL" my wife likes to sit down and listen to both our systems. Two channel and home theater, she don't know about cables stand etc... but she has a golden ear. She knows wen I make a change to the system, because of the sound not the boxes in the stands. Anyway you should not have a problem finding a audiophile husban, Good lock and enjoy the music.
Real nice setup Wendy. I noticed that you have the latest Camelot Roundtable that has the same Swiss Anagram chipset as your AA Capitole. I was wondering how the two compare playing cds.
If you would consider adopting me, I can bring along a ML 37 transport, a great analog front end (and phono pre-amp), and Talon Khites for the rear channels.
All you need is an analogue section and you might only leave your house to buy vinyl. Actually there is so much vinyl online, you can ORDER most of it. So what would be the point of leaving the house??? Maybe work? Maybe... heh heh...
May I suggest you get an Ayre K-1x preamp with phono (if you wait long enough one will pop up used if you want a deal). The K-1x is one of the best if not the best SS preamps/phono stage combo made period. I am not sure how it would mate with the Edge amps, but I would be willing to give it a shot. Then get yourself a nice turntable. Plenty of options there.
How does your spouse put up with you? I once read this thing where it was suggested that women would make better audiophiles; 1) they tend to have better hearing in the hf. 2) they are on average, shorter, and therefore they're more likely to be able to be seated lower, below the axis of the tweeter, 3) they have more hair then men, and therefore don't suffer from standing waves collecting on a bald head (better bass responce).
Hi Wendy - As one of those who 'took something off your hands' that 'wasn't exactly what you were looking for' recently, allow me to congratulate you on the most impressive system you've assembled (and to take passing note of the fact that the item you replaced the one that I bought with, has apparently itself now been replaced!)
[BTW, I'm still tryin' to get that darn thing off my own hands!] :-)
With brand names like 'Edge', 'Talon', and 'PowerSnakes' in there, I'd say yours is just as macho a system as any of the guys'! But your description of you two chix spending a leisurely evening comparing power cords has me imagining this must surely be some kind of utimate male audiophile fantasy daydream! (Sorry - on second thought, let's not go there!)
Wendy, You could have saved a bundle,have great eye appeal,eliminate alot of interconnects, and have superior sound. Buy Quad and you will know why many reviewers and lovers of high end own Quad Electrostatics,and associated equipment. Listen to them and you will believe,
Thanks for all of the great comments and feedback. I'll attempt to respond to what I can. Gregm, I would love to connect the Capitole directly to the Edge but then I would be switching the cables back and forth on a daily basis to enjoy the surround sound set-up too. The Levinson was a good second choice in that it has the great Surround Sound passthrough which allows me to still listen to very good 2 channel but also be able to add the Krell processor into the mix when watching satellite or DVD. Rives, I actually had considerable help from a fellow audiogoner friend (Nickt) in setting up the speakers. Although aesthetics are important to me, I did want to try to place the speakers accurately in order to get the most out of the system (and $ I spent!) We started with them out further in the middle of the room and slowly moved them back. There was barely any noticable difference when placed closer to the wall. Who knows why but perhaps the 15 foot cathedral ceiling helped this out. We did have to toe-in a bit to center the sweet spot but overall we got very good results in this location. About the center channel, my original speakers were Martin Logan Odessey with the Cinema center. I wondered myself as to what kind of blend I would get. Amazingly, I find the match to be pretty seamless. The Cinema is an incredible center and has such a wide soundstage that it really ties together the Talon. Until Talon comes up with a better solution for a center channel, I'm very pleased with what I've got. Xiekitchen, of course I can't speak for your wife but my experience is that once woman are brought into the process of understanding and knowing what to look for when comparing any audio components, they are much more receptive to the concept. Example, I invited one of my friends over one evening to compare power cords I had gotten from the Cable Company library. They ranged in price from $300-1500. You can imagine her distain when strictly focusing on the price but when I asked her to help me figure out what sounded the best, she was into it! We spent about 4 hours trading out cords back and forth and only then relating the prices to each. Now, when there are several of us over at my house, I hear her explaining to others about the amazing differences in power cords! Its funny!
In as much as "we" (audiophiles) make up less than .0001 % of the population,generally,not many understand us. I don't dwell on how this affects women who choose this hobby. It has taken me 2 lifetimes to acquire 1/10th of what you have, in a year. All that comes from one being in a better financial position (richer).I probably spend a higher % of my income on this hobby than most. My passion /enjoyment,for this is at least equal to that of all of us. (women included)
Maybe you can talk to my wife.. I'm trying to talk her into allowing me to buy a better power amp (Electron Eagle 4). Of course she says "three thousand dollars for an ugly black box? Are you NUTS??" She has, however, gotten used to the sound of my two systems and whenever we come back from someone else's house she usually remarks how crappy their stereo sounds. Of course if I die she says she's keeping all of it.
You know--it just doesn't have that Macho look--where are the big cables, the metal stands, the isolation platforms that look like the luner lander. I'm only kidding, it's very tastefully done. I particularly like the wood matching (or close--hard to tell in a digital photo). Most of my clients want their room to sound great, but look like yours (there are of course exceptions). While I don't know the room and it may not be possible or aesthetically acceptable, the Talons are a bit close to the rear boundary and the cabinet. If possible you may try pulling them out a bit into the room. Our website www.rivesaudio.com has a tutorial on speaker placement that might be helpful. Of course if you pulled them out you might see those cables--ughh! I'm also curious how you like the ESL center with the Talons. I know the Talons are proported as being fast--but do they blend well with the ESL? I have an ML logos and love it--but it is with other ML speakers.
